Changes in the Avifauna of the Great Smoky Mountains: 1947-1983
Wilcove DS. 1988. Changes in the Avifauna of the Great Smoky Mountains: 1947-1983. The Wilson Bulletin. 100(2):256-271
In 1982-1983, I repeated ten breeding bird censuses made by B. Fawver in 1947-1948 in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee and North Carolina. Populations of neotropical migrants did not show significant changes. In contrast, during this period, many of the same species of neotropical migrants had declined in small woodlots and urban parks throughout the eastern United States. These findings support the hypothesis that declines in woodlots result from the fragmentation of breeding habitat and demonstrate the importance of large parks such as the Great Smoky Mountains National Park for the preservation of neotropical migrants. Among the permanent residents and short-distance migrants, the Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata), American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos), and Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) showed substantial population increases during this period. All three species probably have benefited from human activity outside the park boundaries.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Wilcove, David
- Units
- GRSM
- Keywords
- Animal Studies, Birds (Aves), Breeding, Great Smoky Mountains National Park NC TN, GRSM-01102, Habitat Fragmentation, Neotropical Migratory Birds (NTMB), Population